"Eighty-five percent of all Muslims are classified as Sunnis (traditionalists) and are regarded as the orthodox of Islam. " [Total world Muslim population previously given as one-third of a billion, on page 431.]

"The religion of Islam is divided into two great branches, the Sunni and the Shi'a, with the former branch constituting over 90% of the world community of believers. " [total world Muslim pop. given as nearly 1 billion, pg. 1]

"The majority of the world's one billion Muslims are Asian and African...The two major groups are Sunni Muslims, who comprise about 85% of Muslims, and Shii Muslims, who account for 15% of the world's Muslim population. "

Sunni

world

912,696,192

15.97%

-

-

1995

The World Almanac and Book of Facts 1997 (K-111 Reference Corp.: Mahwah, NJ), [Source: 1996 Encyc. Britannica Book of the Year]; pg. 646.

"Islam makes up around 20% of the world's population. It is the second largest religion in the world, trailing only Christianity. "; "The Sunnis now comprise 80% of the Muslim population... " [80% of 20% = 16% of world pop. Sunni.]

Sunni

world

850,000,000

-

-

-

1996

Occhiogrosso, Peter. The Joy of Sects: A Spirited Guide to the World's Religious Traditions. New York: Doubleday (1996); pg. 430.

"Roughly 85% of the 1 billion Muslims in the world today are Sunni, although there are dozens of non-Sunni sects. "

"There are several groups which are based on Native American traditions which are considered to be on the periphery of Paganism... the Sunray Meditation Society has a large following within some communities. Sunray is a combination of Cherokee traditions and Tibetan Buddhism combining chanting, visualization, and movement meditation. Sunray was specifically created as a vehicle to make available Native American teachings to non-natives. "

Bishop, Peter & Michael Darton (editors). The Encyclopedia of World Faiths: An Illustrated Survey of the World's Living Faiths. New York: Facts on File Publications (1987); pg. 212.

"During the sixteenth century a further sect, the Sthanakavasis, developed in western India out of the Shvetambara order. Their chief feature is the rejection of image worship and temple services, which they claim is not sanctioned by the scriptures -- although this attitude may also be due to Islamic influence. Image worship is also repudiated by one of the subgroups of the Digambaras. "

Bishop, Peter & Michael Darton (editors). The Encyclopedia of World Faiths: An Illustrated Survey of the World's Living Faiths. New York: Facts on File Publications (1987); pg. 208.

"According to a survey, in 1984 there were about 5,620 Jaina ascetics -- monks and nuns -- the majority belonging to the Scvetambara sect (1,200 monks and 3,400 nuns), followed by the Sthanakavasis (325 monks and 520 nuns), and then the Digambaras (65 monks, 60 'lay brothers' and 50 'lay sisters'). "

Crim, Keith (ed.). The Perennial Dictionary of World Religions. San Francisco: Harper Collins (1989). Reprint; originally pub. as Abingdon Dictionary of Living Religions, 1981; pg. 370.

"In the centuries after the Svetambara-Digambara division, the Svetambaras were predominant in th West and Northwest (modern-day Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Rajasthan), while the Digambaras dominated the movement in Central and Southern India. "

"Since [A.D. 475] the Svetambaras, who are the larger [Jain] group, have been strongest in Gujarat and Rajasthan, in northewest India, while the Digambaras, now declining, are concentrated in the Deccan, a long mountainous plateau along the southwest coast, and in the old princely state of Mysore. "

Svetambaras

India

-

-

-

-

1981

Crim, Keith (ed.). The Perennial Dictionary of World Religions. San Francisco: Harper Collins (1989). Reprint; originally published as Abingdon Dictionary of Living Religions, 1981; pg. 728.

"Svetambara (Skt.; lit. 'white-clad'). One of the two major monastic traditions in Jainism. The name refers to the requirement that monks and nuns renounce all possessions and wear only simple white cotton garments. "

Svetambaras

India

-

-

-

-

1987

Bishop, Peter & Michael Darton (editors). The Encyclopedia of World Faiths: An Illustrated Survey of the World's Living Faiths. New York: Facts on File Publications (1987); pg. 211.

"The Shvetambaras, who gained ascendancy in Rajasthan and Gujarat, eventually divided into as many as 84 subgroups or gacchas, but only a few of these survive today. "

Bishop, Peter & Michael Darton (editors). The Encyclopedia of World Faiths: An Illustrated Survey of the World's Living Faiths. New York: Facts on File Publications (1987); pg. 208.

"According to a survey, in 1984 there were about 5,620 Jaina ascetics -- monks and nuns -- the majority belonging to the Scvetambara sect (1,200 monks and 3,400 nuns), followed by the Sthanakavasis (325 monks and 520 nuns), and then the Digambaras (65 monks, 60 'lay brothers' and 50 'lay sisters'). "

"Swahili: Location: Eastern Africa from southern Somalia to northern Mozambique; Population: About 500,000; Language: KiSwahili; Religion: Islam (Sunni Muslim); spirit cults "; "Being Swahili is inextricably connected to being Muslim... Some communities revere local religious figures from times past... Such local practices are criticized as old fashioned by some who promote either more 'modern' religion or a purer version of Islam. " [NOTE: This statistic is a measure of ethnic/tribal affiliation, NOT a distinct religion.]

Bishop, Peter & Michael Darton (editors). The Encyclopedia of World Faiths: An Illustrated Survey of the World's Living Faiths. New York: Facts on File Publications (1987); pg. 207.

"In East Africa, the Swaminarayan religion was firmly established in 1950 and active temples remain today in several cities in Kenya and Tanzania. "

Swaminarayanism

United Kingdom

30,000

-

-

-

1987

Bishop, Peter & Michael Darton (editors). The Encyclopedia of World Faiths: An Illustrated Survey of the World's Living Faiths. New York: Facts on File Publications (1987); pg. 207.

"In East Africa, the Swaminarayan religion was firmly established in 1950 and active temples remain today in several cities in Kenya and Tanzania. Following the Africanization policy of several states from the mid-1050s, East African Gujaratis, like other Indian groups, emigrated to Britain and brought the Swaminarayan religion with them. The sect now counts more than 30,000 members in Britain... "

Table with following columns: Movement; Total Membership; Full-Time Members; P/T Members; Sympathizers.; For this study Clarke "approached researchers & observers in the field of new religions [& org./church reps.] to obtain their opinions & any hard... data "; "20-30,000 "

Swaminarayanism

world

5,000,000

-

-

-

1987

Bishop, Peter & Michael Darton (editors). The Encyclopedia of World Faiths: An Illustrated Survey of the World's Living Faiths. New York: Facts on File Publications (1987); pg. 207.

"It is estimated now that there are about five million Gujaratis worldwide affiliated to the Swaminarayan sect. "

"Swedenborg Association of Australia Limited... The name Emanuel Swedenborg has been a part of the history of Australia since the early days of white settlement in 1788... It is in the early 1840s that records begin of individuals studying the works of Emanuel Swedenborg and joining together in groups. Congregations were formed which still meet for public worship. Since 1992, in Sydney, through a bequest of the late Dr. William Moore, a Homoeopathic Practitioner, The Swedenborg Lending Library and Enquiry Centre has carried out specific promotional activities to make Swedenborg and his theological writings better known throughout Australia. All of these avenues of activity are continuing and will continue into the future. The Swedenborg Association of Australia is incorporated under the Australian Companies Code, as a non-profit autonomous company... For the moment, there are two centres in Australia with one hundred members listed. "

"New Jerusalem, Church of the: Followers of Swedenborg organized the 1st congregation, or society, in London, 1788... In 1926 this British Convention counted about 70 societies and 7,100 members. "

Swedenborgian

USA

8,000

-

-

-

1981

Crim, Keith (ed.). The Perennial Dictionary of World Religions. San Francisco: Harper Collins (1989). Reprint; originally published as Abingdon Dictionary of Living Religions, 1981; pg. 728.

"Swedenborgianism (Christian). The name commonly given the Church of the New Jerusalem, often called the 'New Church,' and its teachings, which are based on the writings of the Swedish scientist, seer, and mystical philosopher Emmanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772)... The Swedenborgian church has never been large, though it has attracted some persons of excellent intellect. In the 1970s the two Swedenborgian denominations in America reported a total of about eight thousand members. Swedenborgianism has had, however, an influence on American spiritual life out of proportion to its numbers. New England transcendentalism, spiritualism, Theosophy, and 'new thought'... have all, in various ways, been deeply affected by the wisdom of the Swedish philosopher. "

Table; table simply lists "Swiss ", as a subset of Protestant, which is a subset of Christian. I've never heard of "Swiss " as a denomination, but maybe there is a "Swiss Church " in South Africa, quite possibly Swiss Reformed.

"Swami Muktananda (1908-83) was, like his teacher before him, Bhagavan Nityananda, a practitioner of sikkha yoga... In America, he created the SYDA Foundation, which still has its chief ashram in South Fallsburg, New York. Before his death, he named two co-successors: Gurumayi Chidvilasananda now runs the SYDA ashram... Swami Nityananda, named for Muktananda's teacher, teaches siddha yoga at a number of locations across America. "

"The Melbourne Zen Group adheres to the Zen Buddhist religion. The group originated in Melbourne in May, 1985. It practices a traditional form of Zen Buddhist meditation which has developed through its close relationship with the Sydney Zen Centre and with the Diamond Sangha founded by Robert Aitken Roshi, in Hawaii. "

"Assyria is located in north Mesopotamia and spans 4 countries: In Syria it extends west to the Euphrates river; in Turkey it extends north to Harran, Edessa, Diyarbakir, and Lake Van; in Iran it extends east to Lake Urmi, and in Iraq it extends to about 100 miles south of Kirkuk. "; Pie chart: "Chaldean 45%; Syriac Orthodox 26%; Church of the East 19%; Other 6%; Syriac Catholic 4%. "

Syrian Catholic

Iraq

20,000

-

-

-

1982

*LINK* Nance Profiles web site (orig. source: WORLD CHRISTIAN ENCYCLOPEDIA, edited by David B. Barrett, and published by Oxford Press, Oxford, New York, 1982); (viewed Aug. 1998; now restricted.)

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